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NEWARK, Ohio — A Licking County man was charged yesterday with murder in the death of a
2-year-old girl.

Daniel D. Hall Jr., 24, of 600 North St., Lot 41, Utica, was charged with the murder of his
girlfriend’s daughter.

According to a release from the Licking County sheriff’s office, Licking Memorial Hospital in
Newark contacted Licking County Children Services about 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday about an
unresponsive child, who was airlifted to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.

Children Services contacted the sheriff’s office. Detectives interviewed the child’s mother and
Hall, her live-in boyfriend, at Children’s.

According to the release, Hall told detectives that he was baby-sitting the 2-year-old girl and
three other children while her mother was at work.

According to the release, Hall told detectives he was giving the children a bath when the
2-year-old became cranky and started crying. Detectives said Hall told them that he shook the child
as she continued to cry, and she lost consciousness.

Hall wrapped her in a towel and took her two doors down to her maternal grandparents’ home. They
drove the girl to the Newton Township Volunteer Fire Department, and she was taken to Licking
Memorial Hospital.

She died at Children’s Hospital just before 5:30 yesterday morning.

Hall made his initial appearance in Licking County Common Pleas Court yesterday, where Judge
David Branstool set bond at $500,000.

Hall’s attorney, Matt Dawson, said he had not spoken to his client yet, but he had a different
version of the story after speaking to the family.

“They indicated that the child had fallen from a counter,” Dawson said. “He picked the child up
and had taken her to relatives.”